Countdown
by Lina Trinch
Summary: Flashback- He had been offered a new job, a real one, that can actually make a real difference. The only problem is breaking the news to One.


**This is almost a nothing fic as I'm typing this. I have no plans in mind. Nothing. I was just wondering what Six's relationship really is with the rest of his so called family. So, yeah, this is a flashback fic. Just me, my ramblings, and... well, that's about it. Me and my ramblings.**

**I'M BORED. MEH.**

****AFTER I TYPED IT UP: This fic takes place before Six is **_**ever**_** hired on to Providence, so he's about to break the news to One that he's been hired as a merc for them and that he really wants the job. You know, like right before 'Promises, Promises'. Also, this is like a prequel to my oneshot fic **_**Green Danger**_**, which is another oneshot of Six telling One that he's quiting the merc business for good, to become second-in-command and Rex's trainer.**

**ENJOY!**

**o0o**

**5**

The leaves of fall fell lightly from the trees, rustling in the wind before they even came close to touching the ground. A light breeze flowed through the sky, almost as if it were going somewhere, while the small nip in temperature made itself well known.

He walked up the stone steps in silence, enjoying the atmosphere of the place. Mostly, he just enjoyed the familiar feeling of home.

Arriving at the top of the hill, he continued walking across the stone paths, noticing a strike of hot pink against the browns of the season.

"I'm back," he said, making his pressence known.

The younger girl looked up at the man approaching from where she perched, beside the entrance of a large building. She gave him a snarky smile. "Bout time," she responded in kind, her Britain accent slipping through forever, "I was just startin' to wonder if those things finally done you in."

"Not yet," he answered, stopping beside her. "Where's the others?"

"Inside, with the heater."

He couldn't help the chuckle escape from his chest at the grimace on her face.

She immediately retorted. "Oh, come on! Not you, too! The weather's so nice this time o' year."

"The weather's nice _here_," he pointed out, "Not in Northern Canada."

She just scoffed at him, "Right, whatever. I should've gotten that job. I think I would've enjoyed it more."

"Doubt it," he frowned. The things he seen were far from pretty. "Is Master home?"

"Sure is," the girl told him, leaning back a little and grinning. "Why? You meet a girl?"

He just sighed on his end. "Butt out, Five," he told her, walking into the building.

"It is a girl, isn't it?," she teased, calling after him, "Is she pretty?" He didn't turn back, as usual.

**4**

He opened the heavy doors, letting them swing back closed behind him, as he walked through the large foyer. Red pillars made an aisle down the middle of the room, as they lead up to the balcony above.

True to what Five had said, it was considerably warmer inside. It still kept a small, nice nip to it, reminding the patrons that it was starting to get chilly outside, but it was cozy enough.

The man stopped walking, almost in the middle of the room, to look up at the balcony. He stared at one of the many pillars creating a dark shadow against the wall. After a few minutes, he crossed his arms, signifying that he wasn't going anywhere.

Soon, there came a groan and a figure stepped out of the shadow. The young man, wrapped in bandages along his torso, arms, and head, leapt down to stand in the grand foyer. "You're stubborn, you know that?," he told the other, taller man, in a husky voice.

"I don't care too much about being snuck up on, IV," he said, leaving his arms crossed.

"I'm aware," the man, IV, retorted back. After a second, he looked the other up and down. "Didn't expect you back so soon, to be honest. What came up?"

"New job offer."

IV stared at him for a second. "So...," he slowly asked, "_Why_ did you come back so soon?"

He let his arms unfold themselves, a sign of uncomfortable defense. "I need to talk to Master about it?"

The other's eyes widened a hair. "What kind of job you get offered that you need to talk to him about?"

"I'm sure you'll find out. Five said he was home," he said, purposely stepping from the subject and asking where was their master at the same time.

"Yeah," IV nodded, gesturing down the foyer and into the hall, "Where he usually is."

The man nodded in thanks and continued his walk.

"If you ask me," IV said, "it sounds fishy."

"I know," the man said without turning.

**3**

He walked through the main hallway, knowing the layout of the building in his sleep. It was home, after all.

Walking past every room, casting shadows against the walls at almost every interval, he couldn't help but suddenly notice something. The gracious smell of food. It smelled like angels to him, a man that hadn't eaten in almost two days.

Carefully, he debated the situation for a few seconds, before giving up on his stubborn mind and deciding that he might as take a look. Another few steps and he was standing outside of the kitchen. He pushed the swinging door open, seeing the white walls and countertops greeting him in their shining glare. Some pots and pans were scattered throughout the room, in a seemingly mess, but somehow organized.

Over the stove, hovering over a giant pot, a rather large man stood. He _was_ stirring away, maybe humming to himself, until he had seen the new arrival, so now, he was staring, maybe a bit dumbfounded.

The visitor himself raised a hand in a casual wave. "Hey, I'm ho-" He was quickly enveloped in a hug.

"You're back!," the almost giant man cried, practically lifting his friend up, "Me an' Five were startin' to take bets on when you be back!"

"Ah-" The man slowly patted his captor on the shoulder, "_Trey- Air-_"

"Oh, yeah," the taller one said, putting his friend back down to Earth.

The man took in a deep breath, stabilizing himself where he stood.

"I mighta lost that bet," Trey said in a thick cajun accent, clasping the man on the shoulder, "But I sure is glad you home."

"Happy to oblidge," the man replied with a small smile.

"So," the larger walked back over to the boiling pot. "Why is it you home so early? Not that I complainin' or nothin'."

"Some things came up," he answered, walking closer to the smell of food, "I need to talk to Master about it."

"Aw, yeah?," Trey had already gone back to stirring the pot, "Well, he in the same place he always be. I still think we should fry up one of them birds."

"That's what IV-," he stopped midsentence, "One of those birds could fit in the palm of my hand... Two of them could."

Trey just laughed. "And you never ate a chickadee befo'."

The man was silent for a second, contemplating the next thing coming out of his mouth. "... Are they that good?," he asked quietly.

"If cooked right, they good as coon," Trey told him, not bothering to hush himself.

"... Coon... Like _rac_coon..."

The other nodded.

The man sighed. In an attempt to change the subject, he simply asked, "What are you making?"

"Gumbo," Trey replied, matter of factly, "Chicken, shrimp, frog, and sausage gumbo. It gonna be good."

The man stared at the pot, playing a game of 'one of these things do not belong', but he just shook his head instead. "How long until it's done?," he asked, defeated.

The larger man thought on it for a second. "I give it bout fifteen, thirty minutes. Wan' me to save you a bowl?"

"Please," the man said with a ghost of smile, before walking back out of the kitchen.

**2**

He continued to quietly walk down the hallway, taking turns where he needed. It wasn't a very long trip, but it was still a nice walk from the entrance. Finally, he came to a small flight of stairs, leading down into a closer level to the ground than the floor he was currently on.

Once walking down the flight, he came to another, shorter hallway, a heavy door at the end. Quietly, with respect, he walked closer, but abruptly stopped when the door opened.

A man walked out, older and dressed in higher class garments than what was needed for the current timeline. The man's cane ticked against the stone floor, the door behind him falling closed.

"Well," he commented, already the Spanish influence slipping through, "You are not dead, then."

The man frowned. "No. I'm not."

"I see," the older man gave a strained sigh. "You're even back... _early_."

"Does this bother you?" He already knew the answer.

"It does," the husky voice replied, but not in an off bearing way. Just... an unemotional way. "It means you have not completed your job."

"The job is done," the young man retorted back, "And I've been offered a better one."

"Then why come back at all?"

This conversation was quickly growing old. The man walked closer to the door and, in part, his elder, stopping in front of him. "I believe that's, what you call, _my_ business, Dos."

There was a long pause as the elder considered the statement. "So it is," he eventually remarked, walking pass him.

The young man, with an internal sigh, walked closer to the door.

"I will admit," Dos called back, as he continued walking, "Whatever job you've been offered that you must speak with him over, cannot be something you're taking without guilt."

As Dos finally dissappeared, the man's hand rested on the door knob for a second.

Once coming to a full decision once again, he took a deep breath to steady himself and walked through the door.

**1**

"Heh. Six. I'm glad you're home."

"... I'm glad I'm home, too."

"Have to admit, I've been expecting you."

"Figures."

"Hehe. So... _Why_ are you here?"

"You've been expecting me."

"Yes."

"So, you must already know."

"Yes. I want to hear it."

"... I've been offered a new job... A real job..."

"Have you now? So, who are they?"

"They call themselves... _Providence_."

**o0o**

**PSHA! OH!**

**I decided that I officially needed to crank something out and this was good practice for... **_**everything**_**. SO! Some unneeded explanation on this. I might as well explain how I see Six's relationship with all of them. Five is like the annoying little sister he never wanted. That's putting it simply, but he still cares about her like family and vice versa. Six and IV are a little awkward. They're able to talk a lot and probably have gotten to know each other quite well, but there's still something that doesn't rub either of them the right way about the other. Trey is like a big, over bearing, momma bear XD. Six likes him well enough when it comes to food and fun, but when it comes to life or death, they have COMPLETELY different views that would clash often. Six and Dos are... on not good terms at all.**

**And of course, One is poppa. XD I would think that Six cares about all of them, Dos probably the least, but it's still there. I mean, COME ON, he's **_**SIX.**_** lol**

**Anywho, hope you enjoyed the fic. This is just my speculation on Six's "family", but yeah. There it is.**

**I'm also sorry I haven't typed up anything in a long time, but I'll def get back to it once school picks up again. Particulary **_**Breakeven: Sweet Dream**_**,**_**Switch Out**_**, and **_**Loving Demons**_**, since those are my chapter fics.**

**Didn't have time to proofread, btw.**

**Read and Review**


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